It seems Monday Night Raw now stands for “Raw Emotion,” folks, as CM Punk and Seth Rollins turned the ring into a live-action soap opera during the show’s opening segment. Following his return at Survivor Series: WarGames, where Punk teamed with Roman Reigns and the Original Bloodline in an alliance so awkward it made Thanksgiving dinner with the in-laws look pleasant, Punk decided to set the record straight—or at least leave it as crooked as he found it.
Punk opened the show hinting at “a favor or two” owed to him by Paul Heyman, because nothing screams professional wrestling like mafia-style IOUs. He also teased WrestleMania aspirations, threw out Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber as potential road trip stops, and then did his best to convince us he’s a changed man. You know, the classic, “I’ve burned bridges, but look at me building tunnels” speech.
But Seth Rollins had other plans. Bursting onto the scene with the kind of energy that suggests he’s still bitter about last year’s Secret Santa gift exchange, Rollins declared he’d had enough of Punk. Seeing Punk align with Reigns last weekend was apparently the final straw for Rollins, who has been harboring resentment since the day Punk walked back through WWE’s doors like a long-lost uncle at a family reunion.
Punk, in response, played it cool—almost too cool. He reminded Rollins that without the WWE World Heavyweight Championship strapped to him, Rollins wasn’t even on his radar. Classic Punk: hit them with the truth and then watch the chaos unfold. And chaos did indeed unfold, as the two broke into a brawl so intense, even Sami Zayn and Jey Uso had to step in to play peacekeepers. Yes, the same Jey Uso who’s spent most of his career perfecting the art of betrayal and drama.
The skirmish led to Rollins berating Zayn and Uso for interfering, because apparently, when Rollins picks a fight, he expects it to end like a one-on-one in a parking lot. Zayn, never one to back down from a verbal sparring match, fired back, resulting in Rollins vs. Zayn being booked later in the show.
Wrestling fans, mark your calendars: this is shaping up to be a WrestleMania season where grudges simmer, egos explode, and favors get cashed in faster than a WWE Money in the Bank briefcase.